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McInnes defends Peter Pawlett from Dundee criticism

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has labelled the abuse aimed at Peter Pawlett for Dundee’s relegation “bang out of order”.

The midfielder was banned retrospectively by the Scottish Football Association for simulation that won his side a penalty in the 70th minute, a spot kick that was converted and condemned Dundee to the drop.

Although McInnes and Aberdeen did not appeal against the ban, he does not feel Dundee manager John Brown was right to blame Pawlett for their relegation to Scottish Division One.

“We have accepted the punishment,” McInnes said. “Any incident like that will be dealt with internally. It’s dealt with, we move on from it.

“What has to be clear is that no way is Peter Pawlett going to be made a scapegoat for Dundee’s relegation.

“There’s been a lot aimed at him and I’ll be looking in the future if there’s the same outrage and comment on players in instances like that.

“To label people losing their jobs and the consequences of Dundee being relegated on Peter Pawlett is bang out of order.”

The 1-1 draw left Dundee on 30 points with two games to play, seven points adrift of St Mirren, but McInnes felt that any blame for the club’s relegation should be laid at the door of the staff and players at the club rather than Pawlett.

“Dundee have had 36 games to sort themselves out,” he added. “They were 1-0 up against a team with 10 men with half an hour to go and could have dealt with that situation better.”